Belgium opens talks with U.S. on CH-53K King Stallion heavy transport helicopter.

Belgium has opened discussions with U.S. authorities and industry regarding the CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter, as the CH-53K appears as a candidate for a €1.3 billion heavy transport helicopter program.

During the International Military Helicopter 2026 conference, Belgium has opened discussions with U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky regarding the CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter, according to Gareth Jennings. The talks are part of Belgium’s planned objective to acquire close to 11 heavy transport helicopters under a €1.3 billion heavy transport program. The CH-53K is being assessed to support strategic airlift and special operations requirements toward 2030, alongside separate considerations involving the MH-60R.
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The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion, the largest and heaviest helicopter in the U.S. armed forces, can carry 12,247 kg over a 204 km mission radius in high and hot conditions, and has demonstrated its ability to lift 16,329 kg during testing. (Picture source: U.S. Marine Corps)

Belgium’s helicopter fleet is currently in transition, following the retirement in 2025 of four NH90 TTH helicopters due to high operating costs and limited availability, while the four NH90 NFH helicopters remain in service for maritime support and anti-submarine warfare. The Agusta A109BA fleet, introduced in the early 1990s, is also being withdrawn as part of a broader modernization plan. Belgium contracted 17 Airbus H145M helicopters in June 2024 through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, with 15 allocated to the armed forces and two to the Federal Police, and deliveries scheduled from 2026 with service entry by the end of 2027.

In late 2025, five additional H145M helicopters were approved, three for Defence and two for the Federal Police, bringing the combined fleet to 20 units. A dedicated SAR program provides for four new helicopters based at Koksijde Air Base with an investment of €232 million and deliveries targeted from 2026 onward. Separately, a €1.3 billion plan covers heavy transport helicopters intended in part for special forces and strategic lift missions extending toward 2028-2030. The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion is a U.S. heavy-transport helicopter developed to replace the CH-53E Super Stallion within the U.S. Marine Corps, with development centered on a new-build configuration rather than a remanufacture.

Sikorsky opened a Precision Components Technology Center in Stratford, Connecticut, on January 22, 2010, to produce major dynamic components, and the program passed Critical Design Review on August 3, 2010. The first ground test CH-53K was delivered on December 4, 2012, for fuel system calibration and structural instrumentation, followed by static tests at the Stratford facility. A $435 million contract awarded on May 31, 2013, covered four prototype helicopters for evaluation and mission testing. The maiden flight of the CH-53K then took place on October 27, 2015, after delays linked to titanium quill shaft issues in the transmission, and the aircraft was officially named King Stallion on May 5, 2014. Low-rate initial production proceeded through the second half of the decade, with the first delivery to the Marine Corps on May 16, 2018. 

Program cost estimates in January 2013 reached $23.17 billion for 200 CH-53Ks, and the order quantity increased from 156 to 227 helicopters in 2007 before later adjustments. In December 2018, schedule pressure emerged due to technical deficiencies, including engine exhaust reingestion, rotor gearbox service life limits, redesigned part delays, and tail rotor and driveshaft issues, which pushed combat readiness timelines into 2020. The Marine Corps finally declared initial operational capability on April 22, 2022, and the U.S. Navy approved full-rate production in December 2022. In August 2023, a $2.77 billion contract covered 35 helicopters, including units allocated for Israel, and in September 2025, a $10.85 billion contract was awarded for up to 99 additional helicopters over five years with deliveries planned between 2029 and 2034.

The program of record remains 200 CH-53Ks for the U.S. Marine Corps, organized into eight active squadrons, one training squadron, and one reserve squadron. Production is planned to continue into the next decade, with CH-53Ks either delivered or on contract exceeding 40 units by the mid-2020s. The CH-53K retains the general configuration of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion but incorporates a redesigned airframe, transmission, and rotor system. It is powered by three General Electric T408 engines rated at 5,590 kW each, providing a 57% power increase over the earlier CH-53E engines while consuming 18% less fuel at comparable output. The seven-blade composite main rotor uses swept anhedral tips and an elastomeric hub, while the split torque gearbox weighs 2,390 kg and supports higher torque transmission.

The maximum design gross weight reaches 39,916 kg with external load, compared with 33,339 kg for the CH-53E, and the empty weight is 19,903 kg. Cruise speed is 315 km/h, range is 852 km, and service ceiling reaches 4,900 m under standard atmospheric conditions. Overall length with blades and tail unfolded is 30.2 m, fuselage width is 5.3 m, and height is 8.66 m. Concerning lift capability, which is the helicopter’s primary role, the CH-53K King Stallion possesses an external lift rating of 16,329 kg on the center hook and 11,431 kg on each forward and aft hook. The helicopter can carry 12,247 kg over a 204 km mission radius in high and hot conditions, and has demonstrated lifting 16,329 kg during testing.

Internally, it accommodates two full 463L master pallets or five half pallets without dismantling loads between fixed-wing and rotary-wing transport. The cabin measures 9.1 m in length, 2.62 m in width, and 1.98 m in height, allowing internal carriage of a High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. Floor loading is rated at 1,465 kg per square meter, and the internal cargo system supports six 1.22 m x 1.02 m wooden pallets at 1,134 kg each. Fuel capacity totals 8,650 L internally in sponson cells plus 9,085 L in auxiliary cabin tanks. Avionics and flight systems are based on a digital glass cockpit integrating five multi-function displays and two control display units within a joint interoperable CAAS architecture.

Full authority fly-by-wire flight controls with triple redundancy reduce pilot workload and enable precise hover control in degraded visual environments. The aircraft integrates an Integrated Vehicle Health Management System to monitor dynamic components and engine performance, supporting condition-based maintenance and predictive logistics. The helicopter supports air-to-air refueling from a KC-130J tanker and has demonstrated 4.5-hour flights during refueling tests. Automatic blade folding requires less than two minutes, preserving shipboard compatibility with a footprint comparable to legacy aircraft. The aircraft is transportable aboard C-17 and C-5 airlifters following partial disassembly.

Operational service began with the United States Marine Corps, which received its first CH-53K in May 2018 and declared initial operational capability in April 2022. Units operating the type include VMX-1, HMH-461, and HMHT-302, with the latter transitioning to the formal training squadron at Marine Corps Air Station New River. Sea trials were conducted aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp in June 2020, and the first Containerized Flight Training Device was delivered in April 2020. Israel selected the CH-53K in February 2021 and signed for 12 CH-53K Pereh helicopters on December 31, 2021, with deliveries expected from 2026 to equip 114 Squadron. Japan has shown interest in the aircraft, and India has examined the type within its Landing Platform Dock acquisition framework. Germany evaluated the CH-53K under the Schwerer Transporthubschrauber program before canceling that effort in September 2020 and subsequently selecting the CH-47F instead.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.